krotz



2 Sheets-Sheet 1l Patented May 5, 1896.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2.

A. S. KROTZ. 1 ELECTRIC CURRENT REGULATOR.

515.559,585. Patented 1555151895.'

il) wxTNEsss: INVENTOH ATTORNEY` ANDREW B GRAHAWPNOYO mnu WASNINGTDN.DC

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVARO S. KROTZ, OF SPRINGFIELD, OIIIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO OLIVERS. KELLY AND OLIVER XV. KELLY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-CURRENT REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,585, dated May 5,1896.

Application filed January 22,1894. Serial No. 497,591. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVARO S. KROTZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Im provements in Electric-CurrentRegulators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric-current regulators; andthe object of my invention is to provide a device of novel const-ructionadapted to be connected in the main circuit with any source of electricsupply, the construction being such that the regulation of the currentwill be effected so that the output from the source of supply shall becommensurate with the work to be performed.

My improved regulator is especially adapted for use with dynamicgenerators, though it may be employed in connection with any form ofbattery, either primary or secondary.

My invention consists in the various constructions and combinations ofparts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view illustratingmy device as attached to any ordinary dynamo and used for shifting thebrushes on said dynamo so as to vary the output thereof. Fig. 2 is adetail view, partly in section, of my improved regulator removed. Fig. 3is a side elevation of the same. Figs. el and 5 are detail viewsillustrating the method of producing my improved solenoid used in theregulator.

Like parts are represented by similar letters of reference in theseveral views.

In carrying out my invention I employ an improved form of solenoidarranged in the main circuit, this solenoid being constructed insections, each of these sections consisting of awindin g entirelyindependent electrically from the windings of the other sections, thewinding of each of said sections being connected electrically at itsopposite ends with a contact device, whereby the said sections may bebrought into or cut out of circuit.

In the accompanying drawings, a a represent an ordinary dynamo, Z) thecoinmutator, and b the brushes, supported on a movable frame b2 in theusual way.

c c represent my improved regulator, which consists, essentially, of asolenoid l and a core d, having a stem d2, connected with a vibratinglever d3, which in turn is connected by a link CZ* to the movable frameb2, carrying the brushes D.

The solenoid d consists, essentially, of sections e, each consisting ofa coil or coils of wire of novel arrangement, said coils being insulatedone from the other and each connected to metallic contact-plates d,arranged at one side of the solenoid. In forming the sections c Ipreferably employ flat wire, insulated in the usual manner, each of saidsections being formed in two coils e2 e3, wound spirally, with all thewire forming one coil lying in one plane and all the wire forming theother coil lying in a parallel plane. This is accomplished by connectingthe inner. ends of the respective coils c2 cS together by a metallicconnection e4, preferably by soldering or otherwise joining the parts,as indicated in Figs. I and 5. The coils forming the sections are thenwound in opposite directions from the inside outwardly, thus leaving thefree ends e5 e at the outside or periphery of the coil, while the coilsconstituting each section are substantially one coil, as an electriccurrent traversing said coil passes in the same direction around theaxis of said coil. The sections being thus formed I construct thesolenoid by taking a metallic tube e7, having attached thereto at oneend a suitable flange or plate c. One of the sections c is then placedaround the tube, said sections being preferably wound upon a mandrel orotherwise formed so as to leave a central opening slightly larger indiam eter than the outer diameter of the tube e7. A disk of paper orother suitable insulating material is placed between the plate e and thefirstl section. Succeeding sections are then added in the same manner,with insulating material between the same, until a sufficient number aresecured to form the solenoid, any desired number being employed. A plate@10 is then placed over the tube and the two plates connected byclamping-rods e, thus holding the same firmly together. In placing thesections one above the other in this manner it should be stated that theouter ends of each coil are arranged at the same side of the solenoidand are connected to the contact-plates in the fol- ICO lowing manner:The iirst section, beginning at the top, is connected at one end to thefirst contact-plate. The opposite end of said section is connected tothe next succeeding contact-plate, which is also connected to one end ofthe succeeding section, the connection being continued in this manner sothat each contact-plate forms an electrical connection between therespective sections which adjoin said plate, the lower contact-plate chaving an electrical connection with the lower coil only of the lastsection, thus leaving the circuit open at this point. The stem cl2 ofthe core d is extended in opposite directions and projects at oppositeends from said solenoid. To this stem is secured at the bottom aprojecting arm d5, having hinged thereto a yielding lever d, carrying atits outer extremity a contact-block CZ7, of carbon or otherhigh-resistance material, which is held yieldingly against thecontact-plates c/ by a spring d8. This contact-block di is made of asufiicient size to contact with two or more of said contacting plates e,and is connected electrically by a flexible connection f2 to abinding-post cl2, located for convenience on the bottom plate e of thesolenoid. A second binding-post @13 is connected by a wire f3, orotherwise, to the first contact-plate c in the series. The line-wires 3off' are connected to the binding-posts el? and cl3, so that a circuit isestablished through the coils of the solenoid which are above thecontact-block C27. The connections to the lever d3 are so made as tocounterbalance the weight of the core CZ' and its connections, includingthe contact-block di, so that in the normal condition, without anycurrent through the solenoid, the core CZ will fall slowly by gravity tothe bottom of the solenoid, carrying with it the brushes or such otherregulating devices as are attached to the lever d3. As the current isapplied to the line-wires ff the solenoid d' is drawn upwardly by themagnetic iield of the respective coils. The contact-block Z7 beingconnected to the core moves therewith and is adapted to standsubstantially opposite the same, so that as the core rises the sectionswhich are below said core are cut out of circuit, thus keeping' theentire available magnetic field of said solenoid above said core, sothat it is susceptible to the same magnetic strength in any point of itstravel, no matter what the size or length of the solenoid may be, and itmay be composed of anynumberof sections. The effective magnetic forceoperating the same will be substantially equal at any point of travel ofthe core. Now, by connecting suitable controlling devices to the saidcore, the current in the main circuit can be controlled as desired. ThisI have shown accomplished in the drawings by connecting the brushes of adynamo thereto, so that as the core is moved the output of the dynamo isregulated in the usual way. It is` obvious that the same result may beaccomplished by employing in connection with the solenoid a variablerheostat to throw more or less resistance into the circuit; or it may beconnected to automatic cut-out devices, so as to throw a greater or lessnumber of battery-cells into circuit as the strength of said circuit isdiminished or increased by the demand thereon. rlhe current passingthrough the main line is thus kept constant, the regulator being adaptedto increase the voltage to correspond to the work to be performed up tothe capacity of the source of electrical energy which supplies thecircuit.

The contact-block 6X7, having a high resistance, being adapted tocontact with two or more of the contact-plates e', it will be seen thatthe current will be divided into those sections with which the block isdirectly connected, the strength of the magnetic field of these sectionsbeing weakened correspondingly, so that as the core is moved in eitherdirection the shifting of the magnetic field by the cutting in or out ofmore or less of the sections is more gradual and thus the regulationmore successful than it would be if the contact was made with onesection only so as to throw said section completely in or completely outas the contact-block moves back and forth in unison with said core.

By having the adjustable solenoid in sections, as described, means areprovided by which the regulator may be readily built up to any desiredcapacity. Having each section wound in separate coils, which extend fromthe inside outwardly, both ends of the coil are brought to the outersurface without the necessity of crossing the coils by one end of saidwire.

A regulator as thus described, it has been found, is extremelysuccessful in operation and responds readily to any chan ge in thecurrent, so as to compensate therefor by proper adjustment of thecontrolling devices which govern the current in the line in circuit withthe said controller.

I'Iaving thus described my invention, I claiml. In a regulator, asectional solenoid, the sections of which are joined together by exposedmetallic connections, a movable device connected to the core of saidsolenoid so as to contact successively with the exposed parts of therespective solenoid-sections, said movable contacting device having ahigh resistance being adapted to simultaneously connect with two or moreof said sections, substantially as speciiied.

2. In a regulator, a sectional solenoid having metallic plates connectedbetween the respective sections, a contacting device moving with thecore of said solenoid so as to contact with said plates, an electricalconnection from one of said sections to an electric circuit, whichcircuit also includes said contacting device, said contacting devicehaving a high resistance being of a size sufficient to include in thecontact thereof two or more of said plates whereby the current is causedto divide IOO IIO

between the sections adjacent to said core, substantially as specified.

3. A sectional solenoid composed of sections, each of which consists oftwo coils of wire wound in opposite directions and connected together atthe center so as to bring their free ends on the outside, exposedmetallic plates forming an electrical connection between the respectivesections, a contacting device moving with the core of said solenoid soas to contact with said plates, said contacting device having a highresistance being of a size sufficient to contact with two or more ofsaid plates, substantially as specified.

4. An electrical circuit, including means for cont-rolling the currentpassing through said circuit, a sectional solenoid connected to saidcircuit at one end and open at the other end, and a connection from thecore of said solenoid to the circuit-controlling device, ahigh-resistance contacting device also moving with the core of saidsolenoid and adapted to contact successively with the exposed parts ofthe respective solenoid-sections, and a connection from said contactingdevice to said circuit, substantially as specified.

5. An electrical circuit, including means for controlling the currentpassing through said circuit, a sectional solenoid, the core of which isconnected to the circuit-controlling device, a high-resistancecontacting device adapted to move with the core of said solenoid, saidsolenoid-sections having exposed portions, two or more of which are atall times in contact with the moving contacting device, the contactingdevice in one end of said solenoid being included in said circuit,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day ofDecember, A. D. 1893.

ALVARO S. KROTZ.

W'itn esses:

OLIVER H. MILLER, CHAS. I. WELCH.

